Infrastructure as Code with Terraform

What is Infrastructure as Code, IaC? It is infrastructure (CPUs, memory, disk, firewalls, etc.) defined as code within definition files.

So how does IaC fit into the infrastructure lifecycle? IaC can be applied throughout the lifecycle, both on the initial build, as well as throughout the life of the infrastructure.

IaC makes changes idempotent, consistent, repeatable, and predictable.

Since code is checked into version control systems such as GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket, etc., it is possible to review how the infrastructure evolves over time. The idempotent characteristic provided by IaC tools ensures that, even if the same code is applied multiple times, the result remains the same.

Successfully managing the lifecycle of infrastructure is hard, and the impact of poor management decisions can be significant, ranging from financial and reputational losses to even loss of life when considering government and military dependencies on infrastructure. Adopting the use of an IaC tool such as HashiCorp Terraform, in conjunction with related and established tools, processes, and workflows, is a necessary step in mitigating these risks.

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